A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker said yesterday that he would push for a law amendment to increase penalties for food manufacturers that repeatedly violate food safety regulations, in the wake of a recycled oil scandal that affects many well-known manufacturers.
The Chuan Tung (全統) brand of lard-based oil produced by Kaohsiung-based Chang Guann Co (強冠企業) has been found to have been made with recycled oil and leather cleaner.
Wei Chuan Foods Corp (味全食品工業), which was accused of using adulterated ingredients in some of its edible oil products last year, was found to be using Chuan Tung oil in its food products.
KMT Legislator Tsai Chin-lung (蔡錦隆), a member of the legislative Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, said such repeat offenses were evidence of inadequate internal controls by food manufacturers and should be strictly penalized.
Tsai proposed revoking the licenses of food manufacturers that repeat the same offense within a year, and raising the fines for those repeating the same offense within three years.
The companies’ owners should also be barred from traveling abroad and should have their assets seized and distributed as compensation for consumers, he said.
Furthermore, he said that if any of their suppliers are involved in compromising food safety, food manufacturers should take the initiative to report them to the authorities, or risk being considered accomplices.
However, KMT Legislator Chiang Hui-chen (江惠貞) said that amending the Act Governing Food Sanitation (食品衛生管理法) is not the issue, because it is already strict.
What is more important, she said, is for the courts to hand down the heaviest penalties possible to offenders.
Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇) said food manufacturers are responsible for investigating products provided by their suppliers, even if they are licensed.
The Taipei Department of Health’s latest inspection of fresh fruit and vegetables sold in local markets revealed a 25 percent failure rate, with most contraventions involving excessive pesticide residues, while two durians were also found to contain heavy metal cadmium at levels exceeding safety limits. Health Food and Drug Division Director Lin Kuan-chen (林冠蓁) yesterday said the agency routinely conducts inspections of fresh produce sold at traditional markets, supermarkets, hypermarkets, retail outlets and restaurants, testing for pesticide residues and other harmful substances. In its most recent inspection, conducted in May, the department randomly collected 52 samples from various locations, with testing showing
The government should improve children’s outdoor spaces and accelerate carbon reduction programs, as the risk of heat-related injury due to high summer temperatures rises each year, Greenpeace told a news conference yesterday. Greenpeace examined summer temperatures in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung to determine the effects of high temperatures and climate change on children’s outdoor activities, citing data garnered by China Medical University, which defines a wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 29°C or higher as posing the risk of heat-related injury. According to the Central Weather Administration, WBGT, commonly referred to as the heat index, estimates
Taipei and other northern cities are to host air-raid drills from 1:30pm to 2pm tomorrow as part of urban resilience drills held alongside the Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan’s largest annual military exercises. Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Yilan County, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to hold the annual Wanan air defense exercise tomorrow, following similar drills held in central and southern Taiwan yesterday and today respectively. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Maokong Gondola are to run as usual, although stations and passenger parking lots would have an “entry only, no exit” policy once air raid sirens sound, Taipei
Taipei placed 14th in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Best Student Cities 2026 list, its highest ever, according to results released yesterday. With an overall score of 89.1, the city climbed 12 places from the previous year, surpassing its previous best ranking of 17th in 2019. Taipei is “one of Asia’s leading higher-education hubs,” with strong employer activity scores and students “enjoying their experience of the city and often keen to stay after graduation,” a QS staff writer said. In addition to Taipei, Hsinchu (71st), Tainan (92nd), Taichung (113th) and Taoyuan (130th) also made QS’ list of the top 150 student cities. Hsinchu showed the